(detail) Mermaids. 14 inches x 17 inches. Paint, colored pencil, paper, postcard. $150 USD.  

(detail) Mermaids. 14 inches x 17 inches. Paint, colored pencil, paper, postcard. $150.00 USD

(detail) Mermaids. 14 inches x 17 inches. Paint, colored pencil, paper, postcard.$150.00 USD.

Mermaids. 14 inches x 17 inches. Paint, colored pencil, paper, postcard. $150.00 USD.

Work In Progress. 14 inches x 17 inches. Mixed Media.

As promised, I am back in the studio at work. Thanksgiving took a fair chunk of time out of my schedule, but my deadline isn't until Sunday, so I should have a complete work to show you Monday. My new self-imposed schedule is one new work every 2 weeks.
I realize that the photo quality here is fairly shoddy, but it's in the interest of self preservation, really. Once the work is complete, you be able to take a better look at it, with my nifty copyright buried right in the image--take that, internet pirates! It will also be available for purchase, should you decide that you can't live without it.

Hallo Internet-type beings!

So, for any of you who are still stopping by, I'd like to say howdy and thanks.
It's been MONTHS since I've picked up a paintbrush, but plan to jump back into it fairly soon.
Plan to see some righteous activity here come December 1.

Vero Beach. Watercolor. 5"x8".

Michigan Cherry. Watercolor. 8inx10in. 

Painted Sage. Watercolor. 6"x8". 

My less-than-triumphant return.

Strawberry and Lemon. Watercolor. 8 inches x 10 inches.

It has been years since I have done a still life in watercolor. I'd forgotten how persnickity strawberries could be. Ah, well. Better to try and fail than to never try at all.

on hiatus

in the midst of relocating.

will post again soon.

in the meantime, my dears, amuse yourselves with shadow puppets.

Mulberry

Mulberry. Mixed Media. 12"x12".

This is a work in progress. It started as the first of a series, and once I had finished the third painting I realized that I had to return to this one. If the lighting is good tomorrow, I'll be able to photograph the other two works in this series that I've finished.

I'm going to try to post at least once a week, but as we are preparing to move you'll have to bear with me if I fall short of this goal. I will have to put painting on hold in order to pack up my studio at some point. And just so you know, I hate packing. It creates a level of anxiety that should be reserved for really terrifying things, like jumping out of airplanes or sticking your head in the mouth of a lion.

Say "aaaah".

Red Right Angles

RedRightAngles. Acrylic.

I think the measurements on this one are 24"x18", but I haven't actually measured yet.
Don't you just love color?

Quote for the day

[Art] allows the spirit to evolve.
--Richard Tuttle

Sweet gum

Sweet gum. Acrylic, 24" x 36".

Lately I've been taken with the shapes and shades of nature. I have been trying to record the trees around our home, because that is what I believe I will miss the most after we have moved. I love the way leaves filter light, the shadows created by a tangle of branches, and how trees offer a visual clue to the changing of the seasons.

The Flood

The Flood. Acrylic paint, 24" x 36".

This one was a wee bit tricky to photograph, because it is so shiny & reflective. This was the first work I did after finishing my landscape series. Clearly I was still stuck on the landscape format (see the horizon at the bottom?).

Recent Works

Virginia. Mixed Media.

This is one of many digital photos I took today of completed work that I have inhabiting my studio.
This piece bubbled up out of the nostalgia one has for familiar places--in this case, the state of Virginia where I did most of my "growing up".

Abstract and the Artist.

When you use a term like Abstract Art, most people don't know that the term refers to a specific genre. Abstract Art is not the same as Abstract Expressionism, nor is it a dead art form (like Dada). Abstract art is created when the artist selects a subject and then exaggerates or simplifies the forms therein. The most commonly known examples of Abstract art or Abstraction are the cubist works of Pablo Picasso.
Now that we're clear on that, I can move on to tell you that I am doing a series of abstract works based on the trees around our house. (Pictures to come, eventually)
I can also tell you that I've run out of gesso and white paint (it's hard to make gray without white), so a trip to the art supply store is clearly in order. I have 2 blank canvases I hope to fill before April runs out.
I am having difficulties in the area of time management, due to the fact that I am tyranted over by a 5-month-old child. (You can read about that here)
Below you'll find an image that I created using a computer program and some digital images. I really enjoy using the program, but I find myself unable to commit to doing a series on the computer. I find it not as satisfying as the art forms that require you to get dirty (paint, clay, printmaking). There's something immensely gratifying to me about being paint (or clay) spattered at the end of the day. It makes me feel as though I've accomplished something.

Digital image created using Photoshop Image Ready 2.0 

Art and me.

Ever since I was little, I knew I wanted to be an artist when I grew up. I wasn't sure how one became an artist, but that's what I wanted to do. I come from a family of art-inclined folks, and they were very encouraging when I expressed an interest in art. I can't remember a birthday or Christmas that went by and I didn't receive some sort of art-related gift. Painting was it for me. I loved the colors, the feel of the paint as it gripped the canvas.
When I was in highschool, I took art classes on the weekends and looked at art colleges. My father suggested that I get a B.A. rather than a B.F.A., so that's how I wound up attending Roanoke College. I enjoyed my time there and learned a lot in the way of self-discipline and scheduling time for art. I also was introduced to my second passion: clay. Man, I love that stuff. I love that it has a will of it's own, that it offers resistance. Paint doesn't fight you the way 10 pounds of clay will.
So the challenge I have now is how to incorporate both clay and paint.
It's a challenge I look forward to facing (after our move--I'm not hauling a couple hundred pounds of raw clay 2,000 miles).

Hello and Welcome!

Hello!

I decided to create a separate space for art-related in my life. My other blog is mainly for family and friends--a way to keep from telling the same story a million times over.
Here is where I'll post art work and keep a running tab on my art-self and art career (currently on hold).

Thanks for stopping by.
Kara